Acne is a condition of the human skin characterized by an excess flow of sebum, or skin oil, from the sebaceous glands located in the pilosebaceious apparatus. Sebum reaches the skin surface through the duct of the hair follicle. The presence of excessive amounts of sebum in the duct and on the skin acts to block or stagnate the continuous flow of sebum from the follicular duct, thus producing a thickening and a solidification of the sebum to form a solid plug known as a comedone. When this process occurs, hyperkeratinization of the follicular opening is stimulated, thus completely closing the duct. The usual results are papules, pustules, or cysts, often contaminated with bacteria and/or bacterial growth, which cause secondary infections. Acne is particularly characterized by the presence of comedones, inflammatory papules, pustules or cysts. The effect of acne ranges from slight skin irritation to disfiguring scars.
It has been shown that skin products containing a combination of sulfur and sodium sulfacetamide are effective in treating acne, especially the secondary infections caused by bacteria. It is believed that sulfacetamides act as antagonists to para-aminobenzoic acid, an essential component for bacterial growth. Examples of acne treating substances incorporating these active ingredients include Sulfacet-R Lotion produced by Dermik Laboratories, Inc., Collegeville, Pa., and the sulfacetamide compositions reported in U.S. Pat. No. 6,429,231.
While the combination of sulfur and sodium sulfacetamide is an effective topical agent for the treatment of skin lesions consistent with acne, both of these active topical agents may tend to cause skin irritation in certain patients, effectively preventing these patients from benefiting from acne creams incorporating this combination. This skin irritation may be exacerbated when delivered by a base that contains substantial amounts of alcohol, for example, ethyl alcohol.